Numerous lubricator apparatuses are known, such as lubricator apparatuses available from A.T.S. Electro-Lube International Inc. of Delta, British Columbia, Canada, for example. Such lubricator apparatuses generally dispense lubricant to elements of a system. Such elements might include a gear or a chain of the system, for example. One known lubricator apparatus includes an idler gear having teeth that engage a gear or a chain to be lubricated, for example. Such an idler gear may include a lubricant inlet and at least one lubricant outlet where the idler gear contacts working surfaces of the gear or chain.
Lubrication needs of such elements may change from time to time. For example, if such an element moves infrequently or intermittently, then a lubricator apparatus that dispenses lubricant periodically at fixed time intervals, for example, may disadvantageously apply excessive lubricant when the element does not move for an extended period of time, or may disadvantageously apply insufficient lubricant during a period of time when the element moves a relatively large amount.
Also, in various systems, monitoring operational properties (such as temperature or presence of a dangerous gas, for example) and controlling devices (such as lubricator apparatuses or other devices) may be desirable, but known systems for monitoring such operational properties and for controlling such devices may be cumbersome to install or use or may otherwise be unsuitable for certain applications.